Miami vacation fun for families (Part 4 – nature/wildlife)

July 9, 9:17 AMFlorida Travel ExaminerLarraine Stacey

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Nowhere else in the United States does such a wealth of natural resources present itself as in Everglades and Biscayne National Parks. The hammocks, pinelands, wetlands, mangrove forests and seashores of Miami-Dade County that remain undeveloped and protected within these practically adjacent parks are home to an unrivaled and diverse array of flora, fauna and marine life.

Covering 1.5 million acres, Everglades National Park is the third largest in the U.S. National Parks system.   Made up of sawgrass prairies, mangrove swamps, subtropical jungles and the warm waters of Florida Bay, the park is home to a rare community of plants and endangered animals that inhabit the seemingly endless grassy waters. Visitors to the park can enjoy self-guided and ranger-led tours and activities from the Main Visitor Center at the Park's entrance, or journey deeper into the Everglades for a more extensive experience in the Florida wilderness.

Families may want to drive to the town of Flamingo, 38 miles from the park's main entrance and featuring many rare birds and exotic wildlife.  Exciting sites along the drive include Anhinga Trail and the Pahayokee Overlook.   World-class fishing is one of Flamingo's irresistible lures.  The park's waters provide thousands of acres for fishing: shallow water flats channels, and mangrove keys are home to snook, redfish, snapper, trout, largemouth bass, and sea catfish.  To the north, the Shark Valley entrance to the Park offers one of the best places to observe wildlife.  Take a tram tour or rent a bike to traverse a 15-mile route.  A 65-foot observation tower gives you a bird’s eye view of the River of Grass.

A rarity among national parks, Biscayne National Park is primarily aquatic.  Of its 173,000 acres, 95 percent are under water. Teeming with sea life and plants, the park encompasses the turquoise waters of Biscayne Bay, the longest stretch of mangrove forest left on Florida's coast, living coral reefs and 40 of the northernmost Florida keys. Getting out on the water is the key to discovering the wonders of Biscayne National Park.  A the Dante Fascell Visitor Center, it is possible to join glass bottom boat tours, snorkeling and dive trips and island excursions or rent canoes and kayaks.   Fishing is excellent, with snapper, snook and barracuda among the most common catch. Patch reefs provide a snorkeler's paradise.  In shallow waters less than 10 feet deep, the living coral is home to a variety of sea life including tropical fish, sponges and the spiny lobster.  Manatees, dolphins and five species of seat turtles call the waters of Biscayne Bay home, as do moray eels, stingrays, squid, starfish and hundreds of varieties of fish.

Eco-adventurers will also want to tour the 450-acre Deering Estate, located at the edge of Biscayne Bay. A wealth of natural and archaeological resources thrive at this site as does a variety of wildlife such as the gray fox, spotted skunks, squirrels, butterflies and birds. Fossilized bones of extinct animals such as the mammoth, dog-sized horses, tapirs, jaguars, sloths and bison have also been found on the estate.

Other opportunities to ruminate on Miami's natural wonders exist closer to downtown and resort areas such as idyllic Key Biscayne.  Here, the Marjory Stoneman Douglas Biscayne Nature Center offers hands-on marine exploration, coastal hammock hikes, fossil-rock reef walks, bike trips, local history lectures and beach walks to aquatic tourists.  Throughout Miami, the Miami-Dade Parks and Recreation Department offers a variety of naturalist-led eco-adventures including hammock walks, kayak, snorkel and canoe trips, and bike trips for all age groups and skill levels.   For more information visit www.MiamiDade.gov/parks/ecoadventures.asp.

For information on family travel to Miami and its wonderful attractions, visit www.MiamiAndBeaches.com.  The Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau is an independent not-for-profit sales and marketing organization whose mission is to attract visitors to Greater Miami and the Beaches for leisure, business and conventions.  For a vacation guide, visit the website or call toll-free at 888-76-MIAMI (US/Canada only) or call 305-447-7777.  To contact the Greater Miami Convention and Visitors Bureau offices call 305-539-3000.

Miami vacation fun for families (Part 1 – where to stay)
Miami vacation fun for families (Part 2 – beaches and parks)
Miami vacation fun for families (Part 3 – things to do)
Miami vacation fun for families (Part 4 – nature/wildlife)